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Applications Open for NC Sea Grant/WRRI Graduate Student Research Projects

For immediate release

Contact: John Fear, jmfear@ncsu.edu

North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Water Resources Research Institute are seeking applications for graduate student research projects. Graduate students in good academic standing and currently enrolled in accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina are eligible to apply by 5 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2021.

“With the combined coverage of North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Water Resources Research Institute, we’re able to entertain proposals from across the entire state to help address the grand water challenges facing North Carolina,” says John Fear, deputy director for both programs.

Fear says each applicant should propose research they will conduct under the guidance of a faculty advisor. He strongly encourages proposals from students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), students from underrepresented or underserved communities, and students who can demonstrate how their research and related outreach will benefit underrepresented or underserved communities.

“We also encourage undergraduate participation in proposed projects,” he adds.

Each research project should align with the strategic plans of North Carolina Sea Grant and/or the NC Water Resources Research Institute, as well as with the programs’ shared vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In particular, research should address one or more of these focus areas:

  • Emerging Regulated and Unregulated Contaminants of Concern
  • Microplastic Pollution, and Marine Debris
  • Aquatic Invasive Species
  • Harmful Algal Blooms and Associated Toxins
  • Nuisance Flooding
  • Erosion and Sediment Control

For more information, access the Request for Proposals.

Contact: John Fear, jmfear@ncsu.edu.

Read about past recipients and their work: Olivia Vilá, Yener Ulus, and Riley Mulhern.